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Mt. Moon cast its shadow on the rocky terrain surrounding it in the early afternoon sun. Summer was just beginning in the Kanto region and many young, aspiring trainers from nearby Pewter City played in the foothills during their break from school. Many wild Pokémon came out of their homes to frolic with the children, chasing each other and rolling in the tall grass; two in particular seemed especially cheerful however, running and enjoying the warm summer sun.

“Theese-ah way, Christian!” Gloria shouted, leading her love through the rocky meadow. Christian tagged along behind, trying to keep pace with the speeding girl; he struggled to keep up with her bubbling excitement though and panted heavily.

“What-ah are you trying to show me, Gloria?” he wheezed, catching up. Gloria just giggled and motioned for him to keep going. She ran behind a rock and out of sight. Christian sighed and ran after her, running up to a big tree and instantly seeing what she had wanted him to see.

“Isn’t it-ah beautiful, Christian?” she said excitedly. “The Jigglypuff made it for us.” she continued. Nestled below the tree was a wreath of pink flowers, shaped like a simple, crude heart. Much like what humans sometimes did, the letters “C + G” were spelled out in the middle, simply and humbly marking their love. Christian smiled and moved in close to his partner in affection.

“It is, mio amore, just like-ah the woo-man it was made for.” he replied. Gloria smiled and nuzzled her small face against his.

“Christian? Will we be-ah like this forever?” she whispered after a moment’s pause. Christian nodded and continued to stand close to her. The simple, flawless moment seemed to last indefinitely.

“Here! These two’ll do.” a gruff voice said from behind them. They turned in shock at the interruption and saw two foreboding men drawing close to them. The one who had spoken reached out and grabbed Christian, shielded from his poisonous barbs by thick black gloves.

“Gloria!!” he shouted after her, but his fear of losing her was short lived. The other man bent down and scooped her up too, following his partner down the hill and back into the valley.

“The boss has been wanting a Nidoking and Nidoqueen for a long time. This’ll get us promoted for sure.” the man holding Gloria commented. His partner chuckled and they continued on their way. The pair of Nidoran tried to struggle free, but without their poison to help them, they were too weak to break the grips that bound them. They watched in terror as their home at the base of the mountain slipped away…

* * *

“After-ah that, we were put on many boats and shipped all around the world.” Christian continued. “We have not seen-ah our home in many months. The only theeng keeping us going is each other…” he finished, trailing off. Gloria timidly spoke up to continue his statement, but she spoke softly and fearfully.

“We-ah do not know why we were keed-napped, but we have overheard ah-the guards talking since we came into theese port. We believe theese to be our final destination.” she mused. “The man who wanted us must-ah be here somewhere.” she continued. Paula was beside herself with sadness at their terrible story, her eyes welling up with tears.

“You poor children.” she said thoughtfully, falling to her knees and embracing them. “You are so young and pure… the hardships you have endured together…” she mused; she looked out the window at the shore and nodded her head in determination. “We are going to get you out of here. That’s a promise.” she said, turning back to them. A grin spread across her face as she said this, turning to the other Pokémon for support.

“Absolutely.” Gus chimed up unequivocally.

“Beyond a shadow of a doubt.” Umbreon mimicked.

Christian and Gloria stared at the fellow Pokémon in shock as the concept of freedom dawned on them. They looked at each other in confusion, but slowly started to smile. They nuzzled their noses together affectionately again and began to grin.

“Sank you, my friends; grazie mille.” Christian murmured, overcome by the emotion of the situation. Gloria began to softly weep again, but this time tears of joy instead of sorrow. The sight touched the hearts of everyone who saw it… all except for Munchlax.

Munchlax cleared his throat to get as much attention as he could. The Pokémon turned to look at him and, after a moment to prepare, he bellowed “Gaaaaaaay.” as disinterestedly as he could. Paula flushed red and snapped at him.

“Munchlax, you heartless cretin, have you no shame?” she said in disgust. Munchlax simply waved her off, but she strode up and grabbed at his neck.

“Now listen here, you; I have tried to be polite, but now I see that diplomacy will have no effect on your simple mind. As unladylike as it may be, I can see that the only thing to sway you now is a threat.” she started to say. “Unless you want to spend the rest of your life on this ship, then we are getting off of it eventually one way or another. When we do, if you do not help us, then I will tell Master David about your little charade, and he will punish you however he sees fit. In fact, he might even… cut back on your food.” she continued ominously. Munchlax gasped at the thought, but after a moment, a mischievous grin spread across his face.

“Actually…” he started to say, pondering something. “…that’s all the incentive I need.” A confused look spread across Paula’s face as she released him, surprised at his sudden willingness to behave.

“It is?” she asked. “How do you figure?” she continued.

“David told you to watch out for me and keep me out of trouble. If he found out what I’ve been up to, you would get in trouble too! That’s all the incentive I need to want to head back.” he replied, rubbing his hands together devilishly. Paula started to protest, but Golbat cut her off.

“Maybe it’s just my Inner Focus talking, but don’t you think we should make some kind of plan?” he asked. “The deck is swarming with guards. How are we going to get past them?” Before anyone else could speak up though, Umbreon chimed in with an answer.

“Don’t worry about that, Golbat.” he said ominously. “Just leave everything to me…”

* * *

“Umbreon, are you certain about this?” Paula whispered nervously. “I do not think this is going to work…” she stammered, but Umbreon grinned and nodded in reply.

“Don’t worry about it, babe.” he replied smoothly. “You look great. Just remember to do it like I explained, and don’t forget, once you have their attention and we’ve gotten away, Teleport back to us, okay?” he continued. Paula swallowed audibly but nodded in response, turning away from him and back towards the stairs leading to the upper decks. She sighed to calm herself as Pachirisu nervously walked up.

“Hey Paula, um…” she started to say. “I, um… I just think you’re really brave for going through with this…” she stammered. “I think it’s pretty cool.” she continued. Paula shot her friend a smile and laid a hand on her shoulder.

“Thank you, dear. Wish me luck.” she replied quietly. Pachirisu grinned and nodded, stepping back as Paula prepared for her task. Taking one quick look back at Umbreon and the rest of the group, Paula sighed and stepped out onto the upper decks. She walked confidently and commandingly towards the bow and halted in the bright sunlight. She struck up the pose Umbreon had described and waited for the crew to take notice.

“You hoo! Oh boooooys…” she shouted as seductively as she could, but her voice wavered. She held one hand behind her head and bent the opposite leg up, smiling knowingly like an old-time fashion model. She tried to look and act calm, but her heart was beating out of control and she felt herself break out in a cold sweat. Some of the crew took notice of her and stared in confusion.

“Is it working?” Gus asked as Umbreon peered around the corner at her display. Umbreon remained silent for a moment, but then started to speak.

“Err… I don’t know…” he mumbled. “It’s hard to tell. Not much is happening yet, although some of them have spotted her…” he continued. Up at the bow, more and more of the crewmen were taking notice of the peculiar little Kirlia and her strange pose.

“Could one of you, err… big… um… muscular chaps help a lady in distress?” Paula tried to say nervously. “I seem to have misplaced my… um…” she continued.

“Kirlia kir kirlia, li-kir kirlia, kirlia kirlia ki-ki…” she muttered. The crew was completely oblivious to whatever she was trying to say and continued to stare in awkward confusion.

“Hey, uh… whose Kirlia is that?” one of them whispered. “I didn’t know any of us had one of those.” he continued.

“I dunno, mate.” the man next to him replied. “But it looks like it wants to tell us something…” he muttered.

“Why is it standing like that? Is there something wrong with its leg?” another man asked. The crew continued to mumble amongst themselves in bewildered surprise, trying to determine just what to think of the odd display.

Paula grinned nervously, gritting her teeth and trying to not show how worried she was. She turned her head over her shoulder and tried to whisper to Umbreon.

“Umbreoooon! This isn’t workiiiing!” she whispered in a panicked sing-song voice. “Time for plan B please!” she continued. Umbreon nodded and turned around to face Gus and Aerodactyl.

“Plan B guys. Have at it.” he said calmly. A Cheshire grin spread across Aerodactyl’s fanged mouth as the pair stepped forward to join their comrade.

“Well I dunno, should we like… try and catch it or something?” one of the crewmen asked. The others nodded in general agreement and the man started walking towards Paula. She shook with nervousness, still trying desperately to maintain the seductive pose and grin.

“Umbreon, any time nooooow!” she whispered back. “Hurryyyy!” she continued, but Umbreon didn’t reply. Just as the man drew close and reached down to grab her, Paula heard a shout from behind her and the crew looked up in fright.

“BOOGEDY BOOGEDY BOOGEDY BOO!” Gus and Aerodactyl shouted in unison. Umbreon was beside himself with laughter at their ridiculous display as the pair flew at top speed down the hall towards the crew. The terrifying sight of the ghastly, menacing sarcophagus and rampaging, feral dinosaur instantly sent the crew into a panic; they scattered in all directions as the monsters came screeching towards them, throwing the ship into complete chaos.

“Every man for himself!” the man near Paula shouted before jumping the short distance into the water. Guards and crewmen ran everywhere as Aerodactyl and Gus swirled overhead, still screaming and screeching nonsense at the tops of their lungs. Paula bolted back towards the remaining Pokémon to help them off of the ship as Aerodactyl and Gus covered their escape.

“Come on!” she whispered, motioning for Christian and Gloria to come out onto the deck. The terrified pair was reluctant to move, but joined her and began running for the stern of the boat. The group of Pokémon started to make a break for it, but one of the crewmen spotted them.

“Hey! Wait! Stop!” he shouted, trying to get anyone else’s attention that he could. “They’re getting away with the boss’ Nidoran!” he bellowed. Ignoring the pretend attack by the flying beasts, he charged towards the fleeing Pokémon, holding his cap with one hand to keep it from flying off. They noticed him charging, but couldn’t react in time to stop him.

“I’ve got this!” Munchlax shouted. He curled his hand into a fist as it burst into flames, standing rooted in place as the man ran up to him. A grin spread across Munchlax’s face as the man drew near and, using the momentum the man had already built up, threw a powerful punch at the man’s abdomen that sent him flying into the water below. His clothing seared for a brief moment, but was extinguished quickly by the ocean water. Munchlax snickered and ran to catch up with the other Pokémon. The band of escapees reached the edge of the ship and could see the docks just on the other side. Paula looked around to make sure they were all still there before turning to look at Golbat to speak.

“Once we have gone, go and collect Gus and Aerodactyl. Hurry!” she shouted. Golbat nodded and took to the skies to fly back to the bow of the boat. Paula stretched out an arm and started to focus.

“Hold on, everyone!” she exclaimed quickly. Pachirisu took her heroine’s hand, with Munchlax taking hers, Umbreon taking his, and Christian and Gloria grabbing Umbreon’s sleek tail. Paula focused on the docks and began to Teleport away. In a flash, the group had left the boat and made it safely to the shore. They ran off into the shadows and left the panicking ship behind.

“They’re gone, come on!” Golbat screeched as he flew over the command tower. Gus and Aerodactyl acknowledged his statement and made one final pass over the terrified crew before turning back towards the city. They flew away in a rush to rejoin their fleeing friends, escaping safely into the afternoon shadows. Christian and Gloria were free, but still many miles from home.

* * *

The docks were eerily quiet after the surprise attack on the docked ship. The escaping Pokémon moved through the shadows to try and avoid detection, jumping from cover to cover carefully. Paula spoke up in a whisper as they neared a safe distance from the ship.

“Alright friends, we need to find today’s shipping register.” she started. “We must find a boat that is sailing for Kanto. That way, Christian and Gloria may return home.” she continued. They moved stealthily through the docks and eventually reached the Harbormaster’s office. Paula found the shipping register and scanned through it for the relevant information she needed.

“Let’s see… J-U, J-Y, K-A… no, that’s not it… K-A-B, K-A-L… ah!” she exclaimed. “Here it is, Kanto. Let’s see…” she mumbled. “There is a ship leaving from dock D79 today at 4:45 for Vermilion Harbor. It is just north of here; come friends, let us hurry and catch it!” she continued, setting the book back where she found it. They rushed towards the dock she had specified and stood in the shadows watching it as they arrived. Several of the crewmen from the first boat were guarding it however as crews loaded packages onto the small ship. They would need some degree of stealth to make it onto the second ship undetected.

“Alright guys, here’s what we’re going to do…” Umbreon started to say as he eyed the strategic points of the area, but Munchlax had had enough.

“Pardon me, ‘scuse me, coming through.” he said loudly, bumping Umbreon aside. Munchlax strode into the sunlight towards the guards with a frown on his face and began to wag his finger at them.

“Munchlax, wait! No!” Paula whispered, but it was too late.

“Now you guys listen here!” Munchlax started to shout. “I’ve been all over this crappy town today trying to get something to eat, and I am tired of this bullshit. I’ve been hit in the back with a streetlight, gotten my ear nagged off by my sister, I’ve been-”

“–and these stupid Nidoran have an Italian accent for some reason, and I just want something to EAT!” he finished in rage. He flung his arms in fury, staring up at them sternly and expecting them to simply move aside. The guards looked at each other tiredly before drawing their Pokéballs to attack.

“Oh shit…” Munchlax started to say as he realized what was going on. His friends rushed from cover to assist him before it was too late.

“Shut up and fight!” Aerodactyl screamed viciously as he prepared for battle. The guards released many Rattata and Meowth to fight with, outnumbering the ragtag group 2-to-1. They threw themselves haphazardly at Aerodactyl, but he swatted them down with ease.

The whistle blew on the boat as the crews raised the anchor. It slowly started to move as it set sail, leaving the dock and the fight behind.

“Christian! Gloria! We must go now!” Paula shouted. The timid Nidoran watched as the boat began leaving and ran up the long pier after it.

“Aerodactyl, do you-” Paula started to say, but he cut her off.

“No! Just go!” he screamed, swatting another Rattata that had lunged at him out of the air. As the other Pokémon covered her escape, Paula ran after the terrified Nidoran as they followed after the boat.

Christian and Gloria ran as fast as their short legs would carry them. They were starting to catch up to the small ship, but it was gaining speed as it reached the deeper water. Knowing this was their only chance, they ran to the edge of the pier and leapt with all their might. Time seemed to slow as Paula watched the young couple sail through the air. As they fell through their arc, Gloria managed to land on the deck of the boat, but Christian slipped and didn’t make it. He grabbed at the guard rail, flailing desperately to hang on and make it over the other side, but his grasp was slipping.

“Christian! Hang-ah on!” Gloria shrieked in terror as she tried to climb up to him; she was fighting an uphill battle though, literally, and was losing time. Paula knew she had to step in and intervene or else Christian would fall in and drown; she focused her mind to try and telekinetically give him a little push from afar, but a loud noise broke her concentration before she could help.

“Fuck yeah! Seaking!” a wild Seaking shouted as it burst from the water. The determined fish leapt from the swells of the boat towards Christian, bumping him with its horn and pushing him the remaining distance onto the boat. As quickly as it had appeared, the Seaking splashed back into the deep blue water, grinning determinedly to itself with a mischievous look in its eye. Paula stared blankly at the display as this happened, simply relieved that Christian was safe.

“Challenge accepted…” she murmured quietly to herself. Christian righted himself as Gloria ran up, squealing with joy as the pair of stowaways sailed home on the ship. They waved at Paula as they went out of sight, motioning their thanks for all that she and her friends had done. Paula smiled and waved back, turning around as Aerodactyl finished off the last of mysterious guards’ Pokémon. Aerodactyl screeched at them terrifyingly, causing them to flee in terror, returning the dock to its peaceful quiet. Paula calmly approached her friends, smiling at them and nodding in success.

“Yeah, that’s right! You better run!” Aerodactyl bellowed after them. He turned around in disgust as they fled, a grin spreading across his face after the exhilarating battle. The group was quiet and content for a moment, reflecting on their good deed. After a pleasant, silent moment, Munchlax broke the silence and spoke up.

“Well, not that this wasn’t just a fascinating little adventure, but I think I’ve had enough of this goodie-goodie crap for one day. I’m going back to the Pokémon Center for some food.” He said loudly. “Screw you guys… I’m-ah goin’ home…” he continued. A blank expression spread across Paula’s face as she remembered her trainer’s words. “We’ll be back at 5 o’clock sharp.” she remembered, hearing the words in her mind as clearly as when he had said them. Munchlax strolled past the dumbstruck group as the same thought occurred to the rest of them. Paula spoke up timidly as he went by.

“Friends…” she stammered. “What time was the boat supposed to leave?” she continued.

“4:45…” Umbreon replied as the same realization began washing over him. The group stood in shock for a moment before bolting off in a rush after Munchlax. Paula grabbed his hand as they ran past, dragging him along with them. They were in a losing race against the clock to make it back in time, and it was a long way back to the Pokémon Center.

* * *

David, Bianca and Cheren had spent a productive day at the open-air Driftveil Market, and had bought quite a few excellent resources for their journey. As they left with their new items, David began to speak up.

“Do you think Paula is going to like this record I got for her?” he asked. “She seemed pretty bummed about having to watch Munchlax, so I figured she should hear this song.” he continued, pointing to a particular song listed on the label. Bianca giggled as she saw what he meant, speaking up in reply.

“It’s perfect. It’ll be really cute watching her dance to that.” she answered.

“I hope they’re okay. I wonder what they’ve been up to…” David pondered, but Cheren interrupted before he could go on.

“I’m sure they just sat around and talked all day. We’re the main characters after all; why would anything interesting ever happen without us?” he mused quietly.

“Hey!” David shouted. “No breaking the fourth wall, Cheren. I worked hard putting that up.” Cheren shrugged in indifference, continuing on his way silently.

As they reached the Pokémon Center and walked through the large glass doors, Paula and the other Pokémon rounded the corner on the opposite street and saw them enter. A look of panic spread across their faces as they realized they were too late.

“Oh no!” Pachirisu shouted. “What are we gonna do? What are we gonna do?!” she continued. Paula was undeterred though and grit her teeth in determination.

“Everyone, grab on!” she shouted. Her friends just looked at her in confusion though, not understanding her plan. “Grab ON!” she shouted again. They formed a chain like they had done on the boat in connection with Paula as she prepared to Teleport, but Munchlax was still oblivious to the plan.

“Munchlax, you too!” Golbat shouted.

“What is this, I don’t even-” he started to say, but Paula cut him off. She shook with pent up anger and threw herself at him.

“RAAAHH!” she screamed. She leapt at him, tackling him to the ground as she Teleported. It took tremendous strength to Teleport them all like that, but the distance was short and she managed it without a hitch. The group fell to the floor of the jet black playroom just as David, Bianca and Cheren walked in. Paula looked up, holding her head as they entered, and looked at her trainer through tired eyes.

“Hey Paula, we’re back. How was your day?” David asked just as the clock struck five. Paula sighed in relief as he said this, looking at the other Pokémon as they also rose.

“Hi David!” Munchlax shouted, leaping from the ball pit where he had landed. He once again sprayed balls all around the room, making a mess and irking Paula further; she was too tired to argue with him now though.

Before she could realize what he was doing or stop him, Munchlax ran up with his arms outstretched and began to speak excitedly to his trainer.

“Hi David, hi! Me and Paula went on lots of adventures today!” he shouted. “We were on a truck, and then we were on a boat, and then we saw some foreign Pokémon, and then-”

“Munch munch munch munch lax lax munchlax!” he exclaimed. David didn’t understand a word of it and simply looked down at his jubilant Pokémon with a smirk.

“What’s he saying, Paula?” David asked as he finished. A look of worry spread across Paula’s face for a brief instant, but she calmed herself and tried to act cool.

“Oh, okay. So what did you guys do all day?” he continued to ask. Paula kept up her cool appearance and replied calmly.

“Oh, you know… just hung out…” she continued. David smiled at his Kirlia and picked her up for a hug. The happy pair embraced after the day apart and Paula sighed at her good fortune for having made it through the day safely.

“Well, sounds like you were a good girl and looked after your little brother for me, so we brought you guys back presents.” David started to say. The group reached into their bags and pulled out various items for each of them.

“Golbat, I got you a very rare item.” Bianca spoke up. She held up a TM from her bag, but it had a curious shine to it, much like the Pokémon it was meant for. “This is a special kind of TM known as a ‘Hidden Machine.’ This one contains the move Fly. You can carry stuff with you now when you are flying, and it will help you with your stamina in flight. Think of it as a more powerful version of your Wing Attack.” she continued. Golbat screeched receptively as she gave him the disc, and he set to work learning the move inside. Bianca giggled as Cheren now spoke up to give away his presents.

“Gus, Umbreon, I got each of you a TM also. For you, Gus, I got the move Energy Ball, and for Umbreon, Work Up.” Cheren explained. “Energy Ball is a Grass type attack, and will let you shoot a ball of natural energy much like how Shadow Ball works. Work Up helps you hone your mind and lets you strike even stronger, boosting both your Attack and Special Attack.” he continued, handing the machines to their respective Pokémon. Gus and Umbreon smiled at their presents, happy and proud to be growing stronger for him. Now it was David’s turn, and he smiled as he looked at Munchlax.

“Munchlax, were you a good boy for your sister today?” David asked. Munchlax grinned and nodded his head; Paula giggled to herself in the corner, too tired to be mad. “Well, Driftveil City imports a special type of milk from Johto that comes from Miltank. The lady at the market told us it is the richest, creamiest milk in the world. I thought you might like to try some.” he continued, handing the brimming bottle to Munchlax. Munchlax gasped excitedly and began to drink the silky liquid. It was too rich even for him though and at long last, he had found a food that he had to eat slowly. Munchlax set to work on his new treat, happily sipping at it in the corner. David smiled at his young Pokémon and finally turned to Paula for her presents.

“Maybe I’m spoiling you a bit, but I think you deserve it.” David started to say. Paula blushed as she looked at him, grinning at his kind words. “I got you two things. A TM like the others, but also something extra; I hope you like it.” he continued.

“You did not need to get me anything, master.” Paula said shyly, but David protested.

“You looked after Munchlax all day and were responsible like an adult. That’s more mature than sitting in a stuffy ballroom all day, isn’t it?” he replied. Paula blushed brighter as David smiled, taking the TM out of his bag; he handed it to Paula and started to explain.

“This TM contains the move Focus Blast. It is a Special Fighting type attack that will greatly improve your coverage. It is notoriously hard to control, but I think you’re ready.” David continued. Paula grinned and set to work trying to learn the move, but David interrupted and took out one other object from his bag.

“Wait, hold on.” he said. “Before you try and learn Focus Blast, I’ve got one other thing for you.” he continued. David held up a large black disc with a tiny hole in the middle and smiled. Paula looked at it in confusion and started to speak.

“What is that, master? Is it another TM?” she asked. David smirked and knelt down to her height.

“No, Paula, it isn’t another TM. This is called a vinyl record, and it plays music if you put it in a record player. You gave up some of your dancing time today to watch Munchlax, so I figured you might like to hear a certain song on here. Would you care to dance?” he asked mischievously. Paula smiled as she heard the words.

“Master, you know me all too well.” she replied. David took her petite hand and the group retired to the ballroom as the sun began to set outside.

* * *

F# F# F# F#, F# E D# C#

The deep, resonating bass notes of the piano sang clearly from the speaker as the record crackled to life. There was a long pause before the song continued, and from off stage, Paula took a running dive for the dance floor. She slid gracefully on the slick wood with her back to the small, impromptu crowd, standing defiantly in the dark room. The lights were off and the blinds were shut, plunging the room into almost total darkness; she stood with her arms outstretched at her sides and her head bowed. She counted off the beats until the next set of notes and grinned.

F# F# F# F#, F# E D# C#

She waited for her cue to spring to life, waiting for the rest of the song to start. As light flooded the room, she leapt into the air and spun, landing proudly before her friends with the biggest grin of her life plastered on her face. As the lyrics began, she started to strut forward sassily, shaking her hips and snapping her fingers as she went. She mouthed the lyrics to the song through a smirk, dancing with all her strength to the pounding drums. David couldn’t help but laugh.

♫ Just take those old records off the shelf,
I’ll sit and listen to ‘em by myself.
Today’s music ain’t got the same soul,
I like that old time rock and roll! ♫

The small crowd of Pokémon and people cheered and screamed for the sassy little Pokémon. She shook her hips and snapped her fingers as she strut forward, dipping and bending to the music. She was having the time of her life, and everyone watching was completely intoxicated by her show.

♫ Don’t try to take me to a disco!
You’ll never even get me out on the floor.
In 10 minutes I’ll be late for the door,
I like that old time rock and roll! ♫

Paula wagged her finger and nodded her head as the line came about the disco. She giggled as she realized how silly she looked and threw her arms into the air in joy. As she landed, she bent forward and shook her short hair wildly, laughing away to herself and having great fun. She continued to spin and dance about the room as the chorus began, moving rhythmically to the beat and bringing an elegance to her movements that only a Kirlia could.

♫ Still like that old time rock and roll,
That kind of music just soothes the soul.
I reminisce about the days of old,
With that old time rock and roll! ♫

As the guitar solo began, Paula slid to her knees on the slick floor and mimed the instrument, flailing wildly and twirling her arms over her head in joy. The small crowd was growing bigger as more and more people came in to see what the commotion was about. Paula was hamming up the crowd, and as the solo ended, she leapt from her knees and flipped over her back, landing daintily and continuing to dance. She raised a finger over her shoulder and then pointed down past her knee, with the other hand rested on her outstretched hip. She wore a confident grin, repeating the motion several times as the verse continued.

♫ Won’t go to hear ‘em play a tango;
I’d rather hear some blues or funky old soul.
There’s only one sure way to get me to go;
Start playing old time rock and roll! ♫

Paula shook her head “no” over the first line, and grinned and nodded over the rest. Her small, controlled smile began to grow as the song went on, stretching across her whole face and finally out of control at the end of the verse. She slid forward and continued to dance, miming the words of the next verse with her lips.

♫ Call me a relic, call me what you will,
Say I’m old fashioned, say I’m over the hill.
Today’s music ain’t got the same soul,
I like that old time rock and roll! ♫

She clutched at her back and hunched over during the first two lines. As if by magic, she slowly sprang back to life, growing more and more energetic as the verse went on. By the end of it, she was bouncing, spinning and dancing jubilantly again, still wearing her beaming grin. There was an unmistakable energy and elegance to her movements that no human could have conveyed; she seemed to naturally be able to embody the spirit of the song, and always knew just the right step for her otherwise haphazard seeming movements. It all came together in a beautiful living symphony of movement and harmony. Adrenaline coursed through her blood and her tiny chest heaved as the music continued, filling her with the spirit she had been longing for all day.

♫ Still like that old time rock and roll,
That kind of music just soothes the soul,
I reminisce about the days of old,
With that old time rock and roll! ♫

Paula again took a running slide towards the continually growing crowd, falling to her knees again and miming the saxophone as it took its solo. There was a wild, uncontrollable energy to her movements that mimicked the power of the sax. She fell to her back and kicked her legs in the air like a child, losing her unmatched elegance temporarily but living for the fun of the moment.

♫ Still like that old time rock and roll,
That kind of music just soothes the soul,
I reminisce about the days of old,
With that old time rock and roll!
Still like that old time rock and roll,
That kind of music just soothes the soul,
I reminisce about the days of old,
With that old time rock and roll! ♫

As the entirety of the band minus the drums and the singer dropped out, Paula leapt to her feet and stood with a wide stance. She raised her arms above her head and clapped to the rhythm, getting the whole crowd involved. It had grown now to a sizable number, especially when compared to how it had started as just David, Bianca, Cheren and the other Pokémon. Paula’s rhythmic clapping and mesmerizingly shaking hips led the crowd in a frenzy, but no one was more enthralled than Munchlax; he wore a grin as large as his sister’s and clapped along with her in pride and joy. He had given his sister a hard time during the course of the day, and harsh words were exchanged in flashes of anger, but deep down he loved her, and just knew how to push her buttons. It was much like the relationship David and Cheren had had as children in Nuvema Town, now passed on to the next generation in the grand tradition of harmless ribbing. As the song neared its conclusion, the record player belted out the final chorus. Paula redoubled her efforts and danced her beating little heart out.

♫ HEY! Still like that old time rock and roll,
That kind of music just soothes the soul,
I reminisce about the days of old,
With that old time rock and roll!
Still like that old time rock and roll!♫

The song built to its conclusion and Paula sensed the crescendo. She danced and spun through the air for the final solo; as it reached its zenith, she bent her knees, took a deep breath, and flipped several times over her back, landing gracefully on beat with the final note and looking down knowingly. She wore a small smile, trying to downplay her physical feat; her deep breathing and beating heart betrayed her however and she fell to the ground in a tired mess of joy with a content smile on her lips. The crowd roared for her performance; she stood after several seconds and curtsied politely before rejoining her friends.

Everyone wanted to try and talk to her at once, but one voice overpowered them all. Pushing his way through the crowds, Munchlax ran up to his sister and embraced her proudly. He was a bit overpowering and almost knocked her over, but it was out of blindfolded pride and admiration more so than any malice. Paula was startled by the gesture and didn’t know how to react at first.

“That was AWESOME, Paula!” he shouted in his native tongue. He was overcome with pride and joy for his sister and stammered to say more but could not. Paula smiled and hugged her little brother back, putting the day’s events behind her. As the pair separated, she looked up at her trainer and saw him grin.

“Well, master?” she asked through a smirk. David remained silent and grinned back at her. He reached down and put his hands below her arms, lifting her and embracing her around his neck. He remained silent, preferring to speak telepathically to her instead.

“That very well may…” he started to say, pausing to think before continuing. “…have been the cutest thing I ever saw.” he continued. “We’ve got to get you into show business, kid.” Paula buried her face in his jacket and could feel tiny tears well up in her eyes.

“Thank you, master…” she thought quietly to herself.

Though her day had been hectic and filled with turmoil at the hands of Munchlax, she had still managed to keep her little brother out of too much trouble and impress her trainer. On top of all that, she had managed to dance to her heart’s content, as was the pride of her species. As she rested her head down to sleep for the night a few hours later, she thought back on her day and pondered whether Munchlax’s antics had made it not worth it; after a moment of thought, she decided she wouldn’t have changed a thing. Somewhere under the ocean moonlight, Christian and Gloria lay together, enjoying the salty air and the soothing rhythm of the waves; they looked up at the moon and thought of their new friend: the proud, elegant Kirlia who had saved their lives. Paula’s unmatched mind and delicate body relaxed as she drifted back off to sleep.